What Kind Of Pillow Do You Prefer?
I like to find examples of companies who offer what the French Creole refer to lagniappea little extra. I contend that the best companies are the ones who offer a little extra in their servicesomething that sets them apart.
I found this recently in Nashville Tennessee.
I was to speak to a breakfast meeting to a group there and needed to find a location near the venue. I went on line and Googled hotels near the venue to avoid rush hour driving. I found the Hotel Preston www.hotelpreston.com .
I was impressed enough with their website to feel comfortable to book a room there. The rooms looked nice and comfortable and I felt comfortable with my decision to stay there.
What I discovered when I got to my room was what impressed me.
On the bed in my room was a little laminated card that read:
You have worked hard all dayNothing worse than an uncomfortable pillow to ruin your nights rest. The Hotel Preston has the answer. Please select from our pillow menu to ensure a perfect nights rest. Dial 0 We are awaiting your call.
Soft medium firm extra firm hypoallergenic.
As an observer of companies who offer lagniappe pronounced lanyap as part of their service offering I was obviously impressed. I am still impressed enough to use the Hotel Preston as one of my lagniappe examples each time I speak.
I decided to look a little further and contact the Hotel Preston general manager Bill Ghumm.
The pillow idea came from listening to our guests at other hotels. They were consistent in saying that they wished they could have pillows like the ones they had at home said Ghumm.
What a unique idealistening to your customers!
The response has been fantastic Ghumm goes on to say. People love to choose their pillow.
The Hotel Preston also offers other little extras such as pet fish companions milk and cookies CD selections and games. Ghumm says if our guests want it we will get it.
I hope readers of this article will ask themselves about their own company lagniappe. What are you doing that sets you apart? What are YOUR customers telling others about the way you do business?
Or are you the same as everybody else?
Why not learn from the Hotel Preston? Take the following steps and see if your customers will start talking about the service you provide.
1Be bold and ask your customers what little extra you could do to make your service memorable and different from the others. This can be done via an anonymous survey or small focus group. It doesnt make any differentask them.
2When they tell you what it is do it! Find a way. Youll probably find like the Hotel Preston that it wont cost a lot.
3And the best partdont make a big deal out of it. Make it happen and let your customers talk about it as opposed to YOUR making a big deal out of it.
Give your customers the pillow they want and theyll dream of your service at night.
Ed Horrell is the bestselling author of The Kindness Revolution and nationally syndicated columns. For information on how to start a kindness revolution in your company go to www.edhorrell.com.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Ed Horrell is the bestselling author of The Kindness Revolution and nationally syndicated columns. For information on how to start a kindness revolution in your company go to www.edhorrell.com.
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